Handle assembly and cartridge, and razor including same

ABSTRACT

A cartridge is comprising: at least one blade; a frame supporting the at least one blade so that the at least one blade can be exposed at a front and configured to receive the at least one blade in a longitudinal direction; a first guard member disposed in front of the at least one blade and configured to align hair entering the at least one blade; a second guard member disposed in front of the first guard member; and an opening formed between the first guard member and the second guard member and configured to penetrate the frame in a direction from the front to a rear, wherein a width of the opening in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, is greater than a half of a width in a lateral direction defined by all of the at least one blade.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/983,677, filed on May 18, 2018, which is a continuation ofinternational application PCT/KR2015/012521, filed Nov. 20, 2015, whichis related to and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to KoreanApplication Serial No. 10-2015-0162937, which was filed in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office on Nov. 20, 2015, the entire content ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a handle assembly, a cartridge, and arazor including the handle assembly and the cartridge, and moreparticularly, a handle assembly to which a cartridge is coupled to bereplaceable, the cartridge, and a razor including the handle assemblyand the cartridge.

BACKGROUND

U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,586 discloses a razor 10 including a replaceablecartridge 14 and a handle 12 attachable to, or detachable from, thecartridge 14.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,586, the conventional razor handle12 has a structure in which a plunger 44, which elastically supports thecartridge 14, protrudes.

PATENT LITERATURE

-   (Patent Literature 1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,787,586

Since the conventional razor handle 12 has a structure in which theplunger 44 protrudes, the plunger 44 may often be damaged or broken byexternal impact or the like. If the plunger 44 is damaged, it may not beable to properly support the cartridge 14, and thus, the razor may nolonger be usable.

To address the aforementioned problems, exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure provide a handle that is less likely to be damaged byexternal impact, a cartridge, and a razor including the handle and thecartridge.

However, objects of the present disclosure are not restricted to the oneset forth herein. The above and other objects of the present disclosurewill become more apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to whichthe present disclosure pertains by referencing the detailed descriptionof the present disclosure given below.

SUMMARY

A handle assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure comprises: a grip part gripped by a user; and a connectingpart fixing the cartridge, wherein the connecting part comprises: afirst plunger guard formed to protrude from the front end of the grippart; a second plunger guard formed to protrude from the front end ofthe grip part to be spaced apart from the first plunger guard; and aplunger slidably coupled between the first plunger guard and secondplunger guard.

The plunger may slide between a first position at which a front end ofthe plunger is aligned with the front ends of the first plunger guardand second plunger guard and the second position at which the front endof the plunger is located at a rear of the front ends of the firstplunger guard and second plunger guard.

The connecting part may further comprise an elastic member elasticallysupporting the plunger, and the plunger may be slid to the secondposition by an external force, and may return to the first position bythe elastic force of the elastic member when an external force isremoved.

A housing, which receives the connecting part so that the first plungerguard, the second plunger guard, and the front end of the plunger can beexposed, may be provided at the front end of the grip part, and theconnecting part may further comprise an eject button slidably installedat a top of the housing and a pusher operating in synchronization withthe eject button and releasing a coupling of the cartridge and theconnecting part.

A front end of the pusher may be located below at least one of theplunger, the first plunger guard, and the second plunger guard.

The connecting part may further comprise an elastic member supported atone end by the plunger and supported at the other end by the pusher, andthe elastic member may provide a first return force for moving forwardthe plunger moved backward by an external force and a second returnforce for moving backward the pusher moved forward by the external forceand the eject button.

A cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure comprises: at least one blade; a frame supporting the atleast one blade so that the at least one blade can be exposed at thefront; a plunger pressing protrusion formed to protrude from the frametoward a rear, formed to be outwardly convex, and including a bottomsurface that is placed in contact with a plunger of a handle assembly;and a connector installed to be rotatable with respect to the frame andcoupled to the handle assembly to be attachable to, or detachable from,the handle assembly.

The plunger pressing protrusion may have a vertically asymmetricaltapered shape.

The connector may comprise a receiving hole, which receives one end ofthe handle assembly, and a latch, which is formed to protrude into thereceiving hole.

A razor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosurecomprises: a handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly comprises: agrip part gripped by a user; and a connecting part comprising a firstplunger guard, which is formed to protrude from a front end of the grippart, a second plunger guard, which is formed to protrude from the frontend of the grip part to be spaced apart from the first plunger guard,and a plunger, which is slidably coupled between the first plunger guardand the second plunger guard; and a cartridge, wherein the cartridgecomprises: at least one blade; a frame supporting the at least one bladeso that the at least one blade can be exposed at a front thereof; aconnector installed to be rotatable with respect to the frame andcomprising a receiving hole, which receives the first plunger guard, thesecond plunger guard, and the plunger; and a plunger pressing protrusionformed to protrude from the frame toward a rear and elasticallysupported by the plunger.

A bottom surface of the plunger pressing protrusion that is placed incontact with the plunger may have an outwardly convex taper shape.

The plunger may slide between a first position at which a front end ofthe plunger is aligned with front ends of the first plunger guard andsecond plunger guard and a second position at which the front end of theplunger is located at a rear of the front ends of the first plungerguard and second plunger guard, in a free state in which an externalforce is yet to be applied to the cartridge, the plunger may support theplunger pressing protrusion at the first position, and as the frame isrotated in one direction with respect to the connector by an externalforce, the plunger pressing protrusion may move the plunger to thesecond position.

The connecting part may further comprise an elastic member elasticallysupporting the plunger, and when the external force is removed, theplunger may return to the first position by the elastic force of theelastic member and may push the plunger pressing protrusion to rotatethe frame in the other direction with respect to the connector.

At least one of the first plunger guard and second plunger guard maycomprise a latching protrusion formed to protrude therebelow, and theconnector may further comprise a latch formed on an inside of thereceiving hole to protrude, supported by the latching protrusion, andmaintaining a coupling of the cartridge and the handle.

The grip part may comprise a housing receiving the connecting part sothat the first plunger guard, the second plunger guard, and the frontend of the plunger can be exposed, the connecting part may furthercomprise an eject button slidably installed at the top of the housingand a pusher operating in synchronization with the eject button, and asthe eject button is moved in one direction, the pusher may elasticallydeform the latch supported in the latching protrusion and may thusseparate the latch from the latching protrusion.

The connecting part may further comprise an elastic member supported atone end by the plunger and supported at the other end by the pusher, andthe elastic member provides a first return force for moving forward theplunger moved backward by an external force and a second return forcefor moving backward the pusher moved forward by the external force andthe eject button.

Other features and exemplary embodiments may be apparent from thefollowing detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide the followingeffects.

Since plunger guards, which are for protecting a plunger, are providedon both sides of the plunger, the plunger can be protected even when acartridge is disassembled.

Also, since a frame of the cartridge is elastically supported to berotatable, an easy, safe shaving can be provided. Also, since the frameis maintained at a uniform home position, instead of freely moving, evenafter external impact is removed, a razor can be further safely used.

Also, the cartridge can be easily attached to, or detached from, ahandle assembly.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to theabove-described effects and other effects which are not described hereinwill become apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification conclude with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter is regarded as forming thepresent disclosure, it is believed that the disclosure will be betterunderstood from the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a razor according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the razor according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connector of a cartridge according toan exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the cartridge according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4 .

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle assembly according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a razor according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 8 .

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the inter-operational relationshipbetween a plunger pressing protrusion and a plunger in accordance withthe rotation of a cartridge.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the inter-operational relationshipbetween an eject button, a pusher, and a latch for detaching acartridge.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a handle assembly according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly accordingto another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods ofaccomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference tothe following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and theaccompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodiedin many different provides and should not be construed as being limitedto the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and willfully convey the concept of the present disclosure to those skilled inthe art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appendedclaims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout thespecification.

The drawings are schematic and not proportionally scaled down. Relativescales and ratios in the drawings are enlarged or reduced for thepurpose of accuracy and convenience, and the scales are random and notlimited thereto. In addition, like reference numerals designate likestructures, elements, or parts throughout the specification.

Handle assemblies, cartridges, and razors including the handleassemblies and the cartridges according to exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure will hereinafter be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a razor according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , a razor 1 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure includes a cartridge 2 and a handleassembly 3. The cartridge 2 is coupled to the handle assembly 3 to bereplaceable.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the razor according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of aconnector of a cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure, FIG. 4 is a front view of the cartridge according toan exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5 is across-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 4 .

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the cartridge 2 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of blades 22,which shave hair, and a frame 21, which supports the blades 22.

The frame 21 has a substantially rectangular framework that is open atthe front and the rear thereof. Specifically, the frame 21 includesfirst and second side frames 21 c and 21 b formed on left and rightsides, respectively, of the frame 21, a lower frame 21 d connecting thelower portions of the first and second side frames 21 c and 21 b, and anupper frame (not shown) connecting the upper portions of the first andsecond side frames 21 c and 21 b. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , a top cap21 a may be mounted on the upper frame and disposed behind the blades.The top cap 21 a is configured to contact the skin during shaving. Thetop cap 21 a may be formed of a different material or color from theframe 21 to improve the esthetics of the cartridge 2 or to improve therigidity of the frame 21. For example, in order to improve the estheticsof the cartridge 2, the frame 21 may be formed of a non-glossy material,and the top cap 21 a may be formed of a glossy material. In anotherexample, in order to improve the rigidity of the frame 21, the frame 21may be formed of a plastic material, and the top cap 21 a may be formedof a metal material.

The blades 22 may be installed in such a manner that edge portionsthereof can be exposed at the front of the frame 21 in a state whereboth ends of the blades are respectively supported on both sides by thefirst and second side frames 21 c and 21 b. Herein, the blades 22 may bereceived in the frame 21 in a longitudinal direction. As illustrated inFIGS. 2 and 4 , the blades 22 may be fixed to the first and second sideframes 21 c and 21 b by clips 29, which penetrate the first and secondside frames 21 c and 21 b. In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , awidth W7 of one blade of the blades 22 in a lateral direction,perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, is greater than a width W3of the top cap 21 a in the lateral direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , a plunger pressing protrusion 24 is formed atthe center of the lower frame 21 d to protrude in a rearward direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the plunger pressing protrusion 24 may have avertically asymmetrical tapered shape.

A top surface 24 a of the plunger pressing protrusion 24 may be formedto extend from a top portion of the lower frame 21 d and may besubstantially flat or may be curved or flat with a less steep slope thana bottom surface 24 b.

The bottom surface 24 b of the plunger pressing protrusion 24, which isthe surface where the cartridge 2 is placed in contact with a plunger260 in a state of being coupled to the handle assembly 3, may have acurved surface that is outwardly convex. The curved surface of thebottom surface 24 b may be configured to only have a positive slope θ orto have a slope greater than 0.

The bottom surface 24 b includes the curved surface whose slope θincreases closer to the rear end of the bottom surface 24 b. Thus, therear end where the top surface 24 a and the bottom surface 24 b areclose to each other may be formed closer to the top surface 24 a than tothe bottom surface 24 b.

Since the plunger pressing protrusion 24 has a vertically asymmetricaltaper shape, the vertical height of the plunger pressing protrusion 24may not be uniform, and the length by which the plunger pressingprotrusion 24 protrudes in the rearward direction from the lower frame21 d may be greater than the maximum vertical height of the plungerpressing protrusion 24. FIG. 2 illustrates that the plunger pressingprotrusion 24 is formed at the lower frame 21 d. However, in anotherexemplary embodiment, the cartridge 2 may further include a supportingbar formed between the upper frame and the lower frame 21 d, and theplunger pressing protrusion 24 may be formed to protrude in the rearwarddirection from the supporting bar. In this exemplary embodiment, thesupporting bar may be formed to connect the first and second side frames21 c and 21 b and to be substantially parallel to the upper frame or thelower frame 21 d, or may be formed to connect the upper frame and thelower frame 21 d and to be substantially parallel to the first or secondside frame 21 c or 21 b. Meanwhile, a front exposed area of the opening27 may be greater than a rear exposed area thereof as illustrated inFIG. 2 . In this case, the opening 27 is disposed in front of the blades22 to allow the skin to rise and straighten the hair during shaving,thereby facilitating a cutting of the hair. However, relatively largefront exposed area of the opening 27 is only an example for forming theplunger pressing protrusion 24 and the present disclosure is notnecessarily limited thereto.

In the meantime, as illustrated in FIG. 4 , a lubrication band 23, asecond guard member 26, and a first guard member 28 are provided at thefront of the cartridge 2.

The lubrication band 23 expands upon contact with water and provides awater-soluble material including a lubricating component, a soothingcomponent, and the like. Accordingly, during shaving, the lubricatingcomponent and the soothing component are supplied to the skin that is incontact with the cartridge 2, thereby guaranteeing smooth movement in astate of being in contact with the skin surface of the cartridge 2 andcalming the skin.

The second guard member 26 pulls the skin that is in contact with thecartridge 2, and thus induces the blades 22 to effectively shave hair.

The first guard member 28 aligns hair entering the blades 22. Herein, atleast five blades 22 can be disposed between the top cap 21 a and thefirst guard member 28.

As illustrated in FIG. 4 , an opening 27 may be formed between the firstguard member 28 and the guard member 26. The opening 27 may beconfigured to penetrate the frame 21 in a direction from the front tothe rear. Herein, the opening 27 may be disposed above the plungerpressing protrusion 24, and at least a portion of each of the clips 29may be positioned at a lateral side of the opening 27. Furthermore, awidth W5 of the opening in the longitudinal direction is greater than ahalf of a length between the clips in the longitudinal direction. Theopening 27 enhances shaving performance by forming part of the skin toconvexly protrude and inducing hair to be cut in a state of standingupright. A width W1 of the opening 27 in the lateral direction may begreater than a half of a width W2 in a lateral direction defined by allof the blades 22. Furthermore, the width W1 of the opening 27 in thelateral direction may be greater than the width W3 of the top cap 21 inthe lateral direction, and the width W5 of the opening 27 in thelongitudinal direction may be greater than a half of a width W6 of theblades 22 in the longitudinal direction. Meanwhile, the cartridge 2 maycomprise a slot portion 40 disposed between foremost blade of the blades22 and the first guard member 28. Herein, the width W1 of the opening 27in the lateral direction is greater than a width W4 of the slot portion40 in the lateral direction.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the cartridge 2 includes a connector 25,which is installed to be rotatable with respect to the frame 21. Inorder to be rotatably coupled to the frame 21, both sides of theconnector 25 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction may be connectedto both sides of the opening 27 spaced apart in the longitudinaldirection, but is not limited thereto.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , the connector 25 includes a connector body 25a, which is substantially U-shaped, and bosses 25 d, which are formed onboth sides of the connector body 25 a to protrude.

The bosses 25 d are coupled to the frame 21 so that the connector body25 a can be rotatably supported with respect to the frame 21. Boss holes(not illustrated), into which the bosses 25 d are inserted, may beprovided at the frame 21. In detail, the boss holes may be formed onboth sides of the opening 27 spaced apart in the longitudinal direction,and a pivot axis ax1 can be defined by coupling the bosses 25 d to theboss holes. Herein, the pivot axis ax1 may overlap the opening 27 whenviewed from the front of the cartridge 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 , a receiving hole 25 b, which penetrates theconnector body 25 a, is formed at the center of the connector body 25 a.The connector 25 further includes a latch 25 c, which extends from theconnector body 25 a to protrude into the receiving hole 25 b.

The receiving hole 25 b is a space into which a first plunger guard 235,a second plunger guard 236, and the plunger 260 of the handle assembly 3that will all be described later are introduced when the cartridge 2 iscoupled to the handle assembly 3, and is also a space in which the firstplunger guard 235, the second plunger guard 236, and the plunger 260 aremaintained with the cartridge 2 coupled to the handle assembly 3.

The latch 25 c supports the first and second plunger guards 235 and 236with the cartridge 2 coupled to the handle assembly 3 and maintains thefirst and second plunger guards 235 and 236 in the receiving hole 25 bso that the cartridge 2 cannot be detached from the handle assembly 3.

The latch 25 c, which is an elastically deformable element, iselastically deformed by a pusher 240 of the handle assembly 3 that willbe described later, when the cartridge 2 is detached from the handleassembly 3, and releases the support of the first and second plungerguards 235 and 236. This will be described later in detail.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a handle assembly according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the handle assembly 3 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a grip part 100and a connecting part 200.

The grip part 100 is a part gripped by the hand of a user during the useof the razor, and the connecting part 200 is a part connected to theabove-described cartridge 2.

A housing 110, which supports the connecting part 200, is provided atone end of the grip part 100. As illustrated in FIG. 6 , the connectingpart 200 is received in the housing 110 so that an eject button 210, thefirst plunger guard 235, the second plunger guard 236, and the front endof the plunger 260 can be exposed on the outside of the housing 110.

The eject button 210 performs a switch function for separating thecartridge 2 from the grip part 100, and the first plunger guard 235, thesecond plunger guard 236, and the plunger 260 perform the function ofcoupling/supporting the cartridge 2 and the handle assembly 3.

The connecting part 200 of the handle assembly 3 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will hereinafter bedescribed in detail.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the housing 110, which is formed at the endof the grip part 100, includes an open installation space 130, in whichan upper case 230 and a lower case 270 of the connecting part 200 areinserted and installed. A through hole 120 for block installation, whichis coupled to an eject button supporting block 220, is formed at the topsurface of the housing 110.

In the meantime, the connecting part 200 includes the eject button 210,the eject button supporting block 220, the upper case 230, the pusher240, an elastic member 251, the plunger 260, and the lower case 270.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the eject button 210 includes a base plate211, a protruding end 212, and a first hook end 213.

The eject button 210 is a button for use when the user desires to detachthe cartridge 2 from the handle assembly 3. The user can separate thecartridge 2 by pushing the eject button 210 toward the cartridge whilepressing the base plate 211. A structure for, and the operation of,detaching the cartridge 2 using the eject button 210 will be describedlater.

Since the user generally uses the eject button 210 while pressing thebase plate 211 with the thumb, the base plate 211 may have a circularshape corresponding to the area of the first node of the thumb. However,the shape of the base plate 211 may vary depending on the design, easeof use, and the like.

The protruding end 212 is formed to protrude from the end of the topsurface of the base plate 211. The protruding end 212 supports thefinger tip of the user that moves the eject button 210 while pressingthe base plate 211, and can thus allow the user to move the eject button210 easily.

The first hook end 213 is formed to protrude from the bottom surface ofthe base plate 211. The first hook end 213 is inserted into a first hookend coupling hole 243 a of the pusher 240 and thus fixes the ejectbutton 210 to the pusher 240. The eject button 210 is hook-coupled tothe pusher 240 with the eject button supporting block 220, the topsurface of the housing 110, and the upper case 230 interposedtherebetween.

The eject button supporting block 220 includes a block body 221 and asecond hook end 223.

The base plate 211 of the eject button 210 is seated on the top surfaceof the block body 221. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , a slot 222, throughwhich the first hook end 213 of the eject button 210 passes, is formedat the block body 221. The slot 222 guides the moving distance anddirection of the eject button 210 by being elongated by a predeterminedlength in one direction so that the first hook end 213 is movabletherealong.

In the meantime, the second hook end 223 is formed to protrudedownwardly from the block body 221. The second hook end 223 is insertedinto a second hook end coupling hole 232 of the upper case 230 and thusfixes the eject button supporting block 220 to the upper case 230.Accordingly, an operating button supporting block 220 remains fixed whenthe eject button 210 moves forward and backward.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the upper case 230 includes an upper casebody 231 and a third hook end 234.

The second hook end coupling hole 232, into which the second hook end223 of the eject button supporting block 220 is inserted, is formed atthe upper case body 231. A crossbar 233, which passes through the centerof the second hook end coupling hole 232, is formed at the second hookend coupling hole 232.

The crossbar 233 supports a part of the lower end of the block body 221so that the eject button supporting block 220 can be disposed on the topsurface of the upper case body 231 without passing through the secondhook end coupling hole 232. Thus, the eject button supporting block 220can be fixed to the upper case 230 by the second hook end 223 whilebeing supported by the supporting bar 223.

The third hook end 234 is formed to protrude in a downward directionfrom a outer periphery of the upper case body 231. The third hook end234 is coupled to the outer periphery of the lower case 270 and thuscouples the upper case 230 and the lower case 270.

The upper case 230 and the lower case 270 form a space in which thepusher 240, the elastic member 251, and the plunger 260 that will bedescribed later can be installed in a state where the upper case 230 andthe lower case 270 are coupled.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the first plunger guard 235, the secondplunger guard 236, and a guard base 237 are provided at the front end ofthe upper case body 231.

The guard base 237 is formed to extend from the front end of the uppercase body 231 in a forward direction. Also, the first plunger guard 235is formed to extend from one side of the front end of the guard base 237in the forward direction. Also, the second plunger guard 236 is formedto extend from the other side of the front end of the guard base 237 inthe forward direction and thus to be a predetermined distance apart fromthe first plunger guard 235.

A front end 262 of the plunger 260 that will be described later isdisposed in the space between the first and second plunger guards 235and 236.

In the meantime, the pusher 240 is installed between the upper case 230and the lower case 270 to be slidable forward and backward. Asillustrated in FIG. 7 , the pusher 240 includes a push arm 241, asupporting wall 242, a first hook end supporting plate 243, and a firsthook end coupling hole 243 a.

The push arm (241 a, 241 b) is formed to extend from the supporting wall242 in the forward direction (or a direction toward the cartridge 2).The first hook end supporting plate 243 is formed to extend from thesupporting wall 242 in the rearward direction (or a direction toward thegrip part 100. The first hook end coupling hole 243 a is formed tovertically penetrate the first hook end supporting plate 243.

As described above, the first hook end 213 of the eject button 210 isinserted into the first hook end coupling hole 243 a and is thus coupledto the first hook end supporting plate 243. Accordingly, the pusher 240may operate in synchronization with the eject button 210. That is, asthe eject button 210 moves forward and backward, the pusher 240 can movealong with the eject button 210.

A first coupling protrusion 244, at which the rear end of the elasticmember 251 is fixedly installed, is formed at the supporting wall 242.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the push arm (241 a, 241 b) may include apair of arms 241 a and 241 b, which are spaced apart from each other andare parallel to each other. The elastic member 251 and a guideprotrusion 263 of the plunger 260 that will be described later aredisposed in the space between the pair of arms 241 a and 241 b. The pairof arms 241 a and 241 b are disposed on both sides of the guideprotrusion 263 of the plunger 260 and thus guide the moving directionand distance of the plunger 260.

A plunger stopper 245, which blocks the space between the pair of arms241 a and 241 b, is provided at the front ends of the pair of arms 241 aand 241 b. The plunger stopper 245 prevents the plunger 260 from beingseparated from the upper case 230 and the lower case 270 by preventingthe guide protrusion 263 from moving further forward, and at the sametime, determines a forward movement limit position of the plunger 260.

Guide lanes 246 a and 246 b may be formed on both sides of the plungerstopper 245. The guide lanes 246 a and 246 b guide the moving directionof the pusher 240, and guide protrusions (not illustrated), which areinserted into the guide lanes 246 a and 246 b, may be formed at thefirst and second plunger guards 235 and 236.

In the meantime, the plunger 260 includes a plunger body 261 and theguide protrusion 263.

As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the plunger body 261 may have a long barshape extending substantially in the forward and backward directions.The front end 262 of the plunger body 261 may be formed to have acurvature similar to the front end of the plunger guard 236.

The guide protrusion 263 is formed to protrude from the bottom surfaceof the plunger body 261 in the downward direction by a predeterminedlength. As described above, the guide protrusion 263 is slidablydisposed between the pair of push arms 241 a and 241 b. A secondengaging protrusion 264, at which the front end of the elastic member251 is fixedly installed, is formed on the rear surface of the guideprotrusion 263 (see FIG. 9 ).

Accordingly, the plunger 260 and the pusher 240 are elasticallysupported by the elastic member 251.

The front end 262 of the plunger body 261 of the plunger 260 movesbetween the first and second plunger guards 235 and 236. If the frontend 262 of the plunger body 261 of the plunger 260 retreats toward theguard base 237 by an external force and then the external force isremoved, the front end 262 of the plunger body 261 of the plunger 260returns to the front ends of the first and second plunger guards 235 and236 by the elastic force of the elastic member 251.

That is, the plunger 260 slides between a first position (see FIGS. 6and 9 ) at which the front end 262 of the plunger body 261 issubstantially aligned with the front ends of the first and secondplunger guards 235 and 236 and a second position (see FIG. 11 ) at whichthe front end 262 of the plunger body 261 is located at the rear of thefront ends of the first and second plunger guards 235 and 236.

When there is no external force, the plunger 260 has the first positionas its home position. When an external force is applied, the plunger 260may move from the first position to the second position. Then, when theexternal force is removed at the second position, the plunger 260automatically returns to the first position by the elastic force of theelastic member 251. The first position may be determined such that theforward movement of the guide protrusion 263 can be prevented by theplunger stopper 245.

Also, the pusher 240 is elastically supported by the elastic member 251and moves forward according to the operation of the eject button 210 byan external force. When the external force is removed, the pusher 240retreats by the elastic force of the elastic member 251.

As illustrated in 6, the handle assembly 3 according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present disclosure is configured such that the plunger260 can be protected by the first and second plunger guards 235 and 236.Thus, the plunger 260 can be effectively protected from external impactor the like.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a razor according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present disclosure, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken alongline BB of FIG. 8 , and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken alongline CC of FIG. 8 .

As illustrated in FIG. 9 , the front end 262 of the plunger 260 isplaced in contact with the bottom surface 24 b of the plunger pressingprotrusion 24. The plunger 260 may be located at the first position bythe elastic force of the elastic member 251.

That is, as illustrated in FIG. 9 , the guide protrusion 263 of theplunger 260 is elastically supported by the elastic member 251 and isthus maintained to be in contact with the plunger stopper 245.

As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the pusher 240 may be elastically supportedby the elastic member 251 and may thus be maintained to be in contactwith the inner side of the lower case 270.

As illustrated in FIG. 10 , the first hook end 213 of the eject button210 is inserted into the first hook end coupling hole 243 a of thepusher 240 and is thus coupled to the first hook end supporting plate243.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a state in which an external force is yet tobe applied to the razor 1 after the coupling of the cartridge 2 to thehandle assembly 3, and the position of the pusher 240, the eject button210, and the plunger 260 may become the home position.

In the meantime, as illustrated in FIG. 10 , a latching protrusion 235a, in which the latch 25 c is received, is formed on a bottom portion ofthe first plunger guard 235 the second plunger guard 236.

During the coupling of the cartridge 2 to the handle assembly 3, thelatch 25 c is elastically deformed by being pressed down along the lowerportions of the front ends of the first and second plunger guards 235and 236 while the first and second plunger guards 235 and 236 are beingintroduced into the receiving hole 25 b. Then, as soon as passingthrough the latching protrusion 235 a, the latch 25 c is lifted up atthe end thereof and is engaged with the latching protrusion 235 a. As aresult, the cartridge 2 is coupled to the handle assembly 3 so as not tobe detached from the handle assembly 3.

Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the latch 25 c is formed toprotrude from the connector body 25 a toward the frame 21 to form anupward inclination. Accordingly, once the latch 25 c is engaged with thelatching protrusion 235 a, the latch 25 c cannot be easily separatedfrom the latching protrusion 235 a even if an external force is appliedin a direction in which the cartridge 2 and the handle assembly 3 areseparated from each other. Rather, the latching protrusion 235 a liftsthe latch 25 c to prevent the latch 25 c from being separated therefrom.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating the inter-operational relationshipbetween a plunger pressing protrusion and a plunger in accordance withthe rotation of a cartridge.

The cartridge 2 according to the present exemplary embodiment isinstalled so as for the connector 25 to be rotatable with respect to theframe 21. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 11 , when the user uses the razor1 in which the cartridge 2 is coupled to the handle assembly 3, theframe 21 can be used while being rotated with respect to the handleassembly 3 by an external force.

As the frame 21 is rotated in one direction with respect to the handleassembly 3, the plunger pressing protrusion 24 fixed to the frame 21 isalso rotated along with the frame 21.

Also, as the plunger pressing protrusion 24 is rotated, the plunger 260retreats to the second position while sliding along the bottom surface24 b of the plunger pressing protrusion 24. Since the plunger 260 iselastically supported by the elastic member 251, the front end 262 ofthe plunger 260 can be continuously maintained to be in contact with thebottom surface 24 b of the plunger pressing protrusion 24, even if theplunger pressing protrusion 24 is rotated.

Thereafter, if the external force that rotates the cartridge 2 isremoved, the plunger 260 moves forward by the elastic force of theelastic member 251 and thus returns to the first position. As theplunger 260 returns to the first position, the plunger pressingprotrusion 24 and the frame 21 are rotated in the other direction andthus return to the home position (the state illustrated in FIG. 9 ).That is, the elastic force of the elastic member 251 is used as a returnforce (or a first return force) not only for allowing the plunger 260 toreturn to the first position, but also for allowing the frame 21 toreturn to the home position.

Since the bottom surface 24 b of the plunger pressing protrusion 24 thatis maintained to be in contact with the plunger 260 forms an outwardlyconvex curved surface, the cartridge 2 can be smoothly rotated. Thecurvature of the bottom surface 24 b of the plunger pressing protrusion24 can be variously selected depending on the rotation range and therotational motion of the cartridge 2.

The razor according to the present exemplary embodiment elasticallysupports the frame 21 of the cartridge 2 to be rotatable, hair can beshaved with the blades 22 placed in close contact with the body alongwith the user's body contour. As a result, an easier, safer shaving canbe possible.

Also, when an external force is removed, the frame 21 of the cartridge 2uniformly maintains its home position without freely moving. Thus, therazor 1 can be used more safely.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the inter-operational relationshipbetween an eject button, a pusher, and a latch for detaching acartridge.

As illustrated in FIG. 12 , the cartridge 2 may be separated from thehandle assembly 3 by moving the eject button 210 forward (or in thedirection toward the cartridge) by a predetermined distance.

Specifically, as the user moves the eject button 210 forward by apredetermined distance, the pusher 240 is moved forward along with theeject button 210.

As the pusher 240 is moved forward, the push arm (241 a, 241 b) is movedforward and thus elastically deforms the latch 25 c so as to detach thelatch 25 c from the latching protrusion 235 a.

As the latch 25 c is detached from the latching protrusion 235 a, thefirst and second plunger guards 235 and 236 become detachable from thecartridge 2, and as a result, the cartridge 2 can be separated from thehandle assembly 3.

Thereafter, when the external force that moves the eject button 210forward is removed, the pusher 240 is moved backward by the elasticforce of the elastic member 251, and the eject button 210 is moved tothe home position (the state illustrated in FIG. 10 ). That is, theelastic force of the elastic member 251 is used as a return force (or asecond return force) for allowing the pusher 240 and the eject button210 to return to the home position.

A handle assembly 3 according to another exemplary embodiment of thepresent disclosure will hereinafter be described. For convenience ofdescription, the same reference numerals are used for elements similarto those from the above-described previous exemplary embodiment, anddescriptions of elements that the present exemplary embodiment has incommon with the previous exemplary embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a handle assembly according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 14 is anexploded perspective view of the handle assembly according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14 , in a handle assembly 4 according tothe present exemplary embodiment, unlike in that of the previousexemplary embodiment, a guard base 237 is omitted from an upper case330, and first and second plunger guards 335 and 336 are formed toextend from the front end of an upper case body 231.

The first and second plunger guards 335 and 336 have a taper shape whosewidth gradually decreases closer to the front. Accordingly, the firstand second plunger guards 335 and 336 can be easily introduced into areceiving hole 25 b of a cartridge 2, and as a result, the cartridge 2can be easily assembled to the handle assembly 4.

The front end and the top surface of a plunger body 361 of a plunger 360may be formed to have a angle of inclination and curvature similar tothe front ends and the top surfaces of the first and second plungerguards 335 and 336.

Thus, when the plunger 360 is located at a first position, the firstplunger guard 335, the plunger 360, and the second plunger guard 336 mayappear as a single body, as illustrated in FIG. 13 .

While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are describedabove, it is not intended that these exemplary embodiments describe allpossible forms of the present disclosure. Rather, the words used in thespecification are words of description rather than limitation, and it isunderstood that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the inventive concept of the present disclosure.Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments of the inventive concept of thepresent disclosure.

A razor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosurecomprises: a handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly comprises: agrip part gripped by a user; and a connecting part comprising a firstplunger guard, which is formed to protrude from the front end of thegrip part, a second plunger guard, which is formed to protrude from thefront end of the grip part to be spaced apart from the first plungerguard, and a plunger, which is slidably coupled between the first andsecond plunger guards; and a cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises:at least one blade; a frame supporting the blade so that the blade canbe exposed at the front thereof; a connector installed to be rotatablewith respect to the frame and comprising a receiving hole, whichreceives the first plunger guard, the second plunger guard, and theplunger; and a plunger pressing protrusion formed to protrude from theframe toward the rear and elastically supported by the plunger.

A cartridge according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentdisclosure comprises: at least one blade; a frame supporting the bladeso that the blade can be exposed at the front; a plunger pressingprotrusion formed to protrude from the frame toward the rear, formed tobe outwardly convex, and including a bottom surface that is placed incontact with a plunger of a handle assembly; and a connector installedto be rotatable with respect to the frame and coupled to the handleassembly to be attachable to, or detachable from, the handle assembly.

A razor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosurecomprises: a handle assembly, wherein the handle assembly comprises: agrip part gripped by a user; and a connecting part comprising a firstplunger guard, which is formed to protrude from the front end of thegrip part, a second plunger guard, which is formed to protrude from thefront end of the grip part to be spaced apart from the first plungerguard, and a plunger, which is slidably coupled between the first andsecond plunger guards; and a cartridge, wherein the cartridge comprises:at least one blade; a frame supporting the blade so that the blade canbe exposed at the front thereof; a connector installed to be rotatablewith respect to the frame and comprising a receiving hole, whichreceives the first plunger guard, the second plunger guard, and theplunger; and a plunger pressing protrusion formed to protrude from theframe toward the rear and elastically supported by the plunger.

What is claimed is:
 1. A cartridge configured to be coupled to a handleassembly to be replaceable, comprising: at least one blade; a framesupporting the at least one blade so that the at least one blade can beexposed at a front and configured to receive the at least one blade in alongitudinal direction; a first guard member disposed in front of the atleast one blade and configured to align hair entering the at least oneblade; a second guard member disposed in front of the first guardmember; and an opening formed between the first guard member and thesecond guard member and configured to penetrate the frame in a directionfrom the front to a rear, wherein a width of the opening in a lateraldirection perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, is greater than ahalf of a width in a lateral direction defined by all of the at leastone blade.
 2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge furthercomprises: a top cap disposed behind the at least one blade, and whereinthe width of the opening in the lateral direction is greater than awidth of the top cap in the lateral direction.
 3. The cartridge of claim1, wherein a width of the opening in the longitudinal direction isgreater than a half of a width of the at least one blade in thelongitudinal direction.
 4. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein thecartridge further comprises: clips fixing the at least one blade at bothsides of the frame spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, andwherein a width of the opening in the longitudinal direction is greaterthan a half of a length between the clips in the longitudinal direction.5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the opening comprises boss holesformed on both sides thereof spaced apart in the longitudinal direction.6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises: aconnector installed to be rotatable with respect to the frame, andwherein a pivot axis of the connector overlaps the opening.
 7. Thecartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises: a slotportion disposed between foremost blade of the at least one blade andthe first guard member.
 8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein a width ofthe opening in the lateral direction is greater than a width of the slotportion in the lateral direction.
 9. The cartridge of claim 1, whereinthe cartridge further comprises: a top cap disposed behind the at leastone blade, and wherein a width of a one blade of the at least one bladein the lateral direction is greater than a width of the top cap in thelateral direction.
 10. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein at least fiveblades are disposed between the top cap and the first guard member.